What is it about that powdery soft, chewed-bubblegum-meets-juicy-sorbet shade of pink that makes millennials throw their wallets at retailers? I'm talking about millennial pink, obviously, which has thoroughly enraptured those born between '77 and '95.

Millennial pink is an elusive color, really, perhaps more a "range" than a designated hue. The Guardian described it as "a grapefruit shade of apricotty salmon;" The Cut called it "a toned-down version of its foil, Barbie Pink, a softer shade that looks as if all the blue notes have been taken out;" and Inc. described it as, "tones of peach, blush and salmon. Think the most prominent swatch of color splashed on a can of pamplemousse LaCroix."

From frosting to frosé to furniture, millennial pink is everywhere. And to answer the question above — why the obsession? — there are a handful of speculative answers. Perhaps it's a nostalgic indulgence in girlish youth-hood now muted by the daily grind. Maybe it's that its gentleness evokes a sense of internal calm much needed in this whirlwind of a world. Or maybe it's just a really pretty color.